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Grand County to purchase wetland mitigation credits for County Road 522; estimated cost ~$650,000
Summary
County staff recommended buying wetland credits through the National Forest Foundation at about $85,488.80 per credit to meet a 1.9:1 mitigation ratio for 3.95 acres of impact, producing a total estimated cost of $649,714.88; commissioners authorized staff to proceed subject to legal review and permit extension.
County staff asked the Board of County Commissioners to approve purchasing wetland mitigation credits for the County Road 522 project to meet Corps-of-Engineers mitigation requirements.
Staff reported a per-credit price of $85,488.80 and explained the county needs a 1.9-to-1 mitigation ratio for 3.95 acres of wetland impact, which equates to roughly 7.6 credits and a total purchase cost of about $649,714.88. The county has received a draft credit-transfer agreement and the wetland consultant is preparing a memo for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to amend the mitigation plan; staff said they will not purchase credits until a permit extension is secured. The board moved to authorize proceeding with the purchase and to allow the chair to sign documents subject to legal review and Corps' permit extension.
Commissioners discussed alternatives (on-the-ground mitigation, conservation easements) and noted the purchase approach had been under consideration for many years; staff said the option saved substantial taxpayer expense compared with earlier on-site mitigation alternatives.
